Student Earns Dream Job Before Graduation

Growing up, it was my dream to work at Microsoft,” says Arturo Lucatero, a senior computer science major at George Fox. But never did he imagine that job offer would come the summer prior to his final year of college.

Next May, after graduation, Lucatero is set to begin work as a program manager at the company’s world headquarters in Redmond, Wash. His duties will include designing consumer products and ensuring that user-friendly experiences are being delivered. “One of my favorite parts of my job is that I become the face of the customer,” he says.

But Lucatero didn’t just fall into this career – he pursued it, earning highly competitive summer internships, first at Intel and then the past two summers at Microsoft, which provided the right connections to land the job. For Lucatero, who moved to Oregon from Mexico while a junior in high school, a new career at one of the world’s most recognizable companies is a far cry from his original plan.

“Initially, my plan was to keep working at my Burgerville job and attend Portland Community College,” he says. But then a school counselor advised him to look into Act Six, a program that provides full scholarships to emerging urban and community leaders. He applied, was accepted, and Burgerville’s loss turned into Microsoft’s – and George Fox’s – gain.

“Fox helped me understand what it was I wanted to do,” he says. “The other part was the curriculum. I was able to apply what I was learning in the work environment.”

His advice for fellow students looking to land their own dream job? “Start early,” he answers without hesitation. “When I got to Fox, the first thing I decided to do was to find out what it would take to get that Microsoft internship. . . . [Now] I have a good job and am excited for this next phase of my life.”